


Something There

by LibbyWeasley



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Falling In Love, Pre-Canon, missing moment, roaring 20s rarepair exchange
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-17
Updated: 2020-03-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:02:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,627
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23186722
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LibbyWeasley/pseuds/LibbyWeasley
Summary: Melinda May examines her relationship with Andrew...and realizes there might be something there she didn’t see before.
Relationships: Andrew Garner/Melinda May
Comments: 17
Kudos: 15





	Something There

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cminerva](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cminerva/gifts).



> This fic was written for @cminerva for the Roaring 20s Rarepair Exchange for the prompt — “Something there that wasn’t there before.” I’m a sucker for that moment when Character A looks at Character B and sees what Character B has known all along.
> 
> Thanks to the lovely @blancasplayground and @agentofship for their help and support! <3

Melinda examined herself in the gilt-framed mirror as she transitioned to a new pose. It usually helped her clear her mind to be able to focus on the tension in her muscles as she moved. But not today.

She looked for a visible sign that something had changed. This was just supposed to be a fling -- a way to relieve her stress and have a little fun. She normally just settled for a mutually beneficial arrangement with a fellow agent. They were the only ones who could truly understand what drove her to do the work she did. Loyalty to SHIELD came first, and she was fine with that.

That must be what was different with Andrew.

A slight rustling alerted her to his presence. It had become a game for him to try to sneak up on her. But she was certain it would never happen. Even with her attention divided between her morning ritual and her confused thoughts, she could still sense his footfalls on the plush carpet. 

“Come back to bed, Melinda,” Andrew said, his voice low and sleepy as he wrapped his arms around her waist. After so many years of working for SHIELD, hearing her first name had become unusual. 

Meeting his eye in the mirror, she gave him a slow smile and tilted her head to the side as his lips trailed down her neck.

He pressed a kiss to her shoulder and then rested his head against hers. She breathed in deeply, feeling the warmth of his body surround her.

Maybe this _was_ fundamentally different. He was different from the men she had dated before. Not that it would make a difference in the end. Romance and physical attraction eventually fizzled out. But she was determined to enjoy it while it lasted. He was smart and funny, and while he could talk for hours, he also knew how to listen. His own occupational hazard. 

Her lips quirked up at the thought.

“What are you thinking about?”

“Nothing.”

“Doesn’t look like nothing. You seem happy.”

“Maybe I am.”

Having him near made her happy in a way she didn’t quite understand. But she didn’t want to think too much about her feelings right now. The fact that her normal excuses for not letting him closer didn’t apply only complicated things. _He_ wouldn’t get called for a mission and never come back. _He_ wouldn’t be forced to keep secrets from her. And she could trust him to keep her secrets as well. 

If she wasn’t careful she’d end up like her mother. And she was smarter than that.

Andrew’s hands drifted lower, his fingers splayed across her stomach. She placed her hand over his and stopped the motion of his hand before turning in his arms. He hadn’t bothered to dress when he came to look for her, and the feel of him against her was quickly distracting her from her musings.

She pulled his face down and pressed her lips to his, her tongue sweeping across his lower lip. It was easy to get lost in his kiss as his arms held her close. She twisted from his grasp and stayed just beyond his reach as she led him back to the bed. He eagerly followed, watching her as her clothes ended up scattered on the floor before she climbed on top of him.

This was her vacation. She was going to enjoy it.

* * *

It had been one of her hardest missions so far. Becoming a level 7 meant more responsibility. More autonomy. Saving Phil’s ass — yet again — was part of the job. 

Melinda enjoyed it and she knew she was damn good at it. 

But now that she had finished her debrief, an unsettled energy burned through her. She didn’t want to go back to her apartment. It was sparse, minimalist, the way she liked it. But right now she wanted to be someplace with more life. She wanted to see Andrew.

He had been accepting of her decision to end things between them. It was something she appreciated about him, his ability to empathize and to understand her point of view. She had said she didn’t want the same things he did from a relationship and didn’t intend to lead him on, so he had let her go. They’d had a very mature relationship without any drama. 

But now she wanted him. Wanted the heat. The rush of pleasure. The calm after the storm that would lull her to sleep.

She let herself contemplate the wisdom of that path for only a few seconds before making her decision. She survived in the field by following her instincts, so she followed those instincts to his door.

Andrew’s house was in an older neighborhood not far from the university in a sleepy section of town far removed from frat parties and football games. His life seemed to be the literal definition of happily ever after. His two story Tudor and its carefully manicured lawn created an almost physical boundary between their lives. But as she stood on his doorstep, physically drained from the mission, she waited impatiently for him to answer her knock. 

Belatedly realizing that all the lights were out, not just at his house, but in most of the neighborhood, it occurred to her that he could still be at the university working in his office or already be in bed. She’d just decided to leave before she made a complete fool of herself when the door opened, creaking slightly on its hinges. 

“Melinda?”

His voice stopped her in her tracks. In the months since she’d last seen him she’d started to assume that her brain was filling in her memories with dreams or fantasies, but his voice was as clear and sure as always.

“Andrew.” She turned to face him, letting her mask fall into place before he could see the uncertainty she felt. “Hi.”

He looked at her, his gaze questioning, but he didn’t demand anything from her. She let the silence settle between them, every bit as comfortable with the void as he was. She wouldn’t be the first to break. 

“Do you want to come in?” he finally asked, stepping back from the door.

“Yes.” She nodded, moving towards him. “Yes, I do.”

In the space between darkness and dawn, Melinda lost herself in his arms. Not having to hold onto control so tightly all the time was its own sort of welcome oblivion. But with the light of day, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and slipped from the room, ready to face whatever came next.

* * *

One night turned into every night she was in town. No matter how she was feeling, being around him made her feel better. More herself. More alive, no longer losing herself to her duties. She looked forward to the time they spent together...and he seemed to as well. They never ran out of things to talk about and he had a gentle way of teasing that she found she liked a lot. 

So it was only with a little bit of surprise that she found herself alone with him when it was time for her psych evaluation. She wasn’t surprised that he was there — having recommended him herself — but she _was_ surprised he had been assigned to her file. Though, now that she thought about it, it wasn’t like anyone knew she’d been seeing him. That they were...whatever they were to each other. 

“Melinda. Nice to see you again, but you know I can’t do your evaluation.”

“I assumed as much.” She gave him half a smile. “But no one else knows that.”

“It’s still unethical.”

He hadn’t moved and she had an hour blocked out of her day with no meetings or briefings. She might as well spend the time doing something enjoyable.

“There really isn’t anything I haven’t told you. I’ve already told you about my mother.”

She had meant it as a joke, but as she said it she realized just how true it was. In the moments they spent together she had shared a lot of herself. He was good at making her feel accepted and wanted. And she also realized she knew a lot about him. Far more than she generally knew about a man she was just sleeping with. 

And even stranger, she liked all of him — the gentle side of his nature, his passionate side. Even the flashes of anger that he quickly tamped down. All of those things made him Andrew. And she loved him.

The realization was sudden, but the feelings had been a long time coming. She just hadn’t known to look for them.

“Something wrong? I don’t have to tell anyone we’re in a relationship...I can cite patient confidentiality and say I can’t do your eval.”

“I love you.”

His expression softened, the worry falling from his features. 

“I love you too, Melinda.”

“You knew?”

“How I felt? Yes. I knew from the beginning how special you are. How you felt?” He paused and it was like the air stopped moving. “I hoped.”

He was still smiling so she moved forward, meeting him as their lips crashed together and arms held each other close. She breathed him in, the calm she felt in his presence settling over her again. They stayed like that for as long as she dared before she pulled back and smoothed down her clothing. 

“I guess you get to give a reason for not being able to do my eval after all.” She did her best to sound mischievous, but she also wanted him to know how important this was.

He laughed and pressed one last kiss to her forehead.

“I guess something came from our session after all.”

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on tumblr @libbyweasley


End file.
